Method of and means for cleaning filtering-surfaces



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1. J. MOHRING. MET-HODJOF AND MEANS FORCLEANING FILTERING SURFACES. No. 591,103.

Patented Oct. 5,1897.

xiNw 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

. J. MOHRING. METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR CLEANING PILTEBING SURFACES. No.591,103.

Patented Oct. 5,1897.

7M4 wia/t.

UNITED STATES FFICE.

PATENT JOHN MOI-IRING, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,103, dated October5, 1897.

Application filed May 2, 1893. $eria1No. 472,661. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN MOHRING, a citizen of the United States,residing in Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Methods of and Meansfor Cleaning Filtering-Surfaces, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of filters in whichthe filtering medium is cleaned by the pressure of the filtered water onthe inside of said medium and by the action of movable cleaners on theouter surface of said filtering medium; and it consists in the method ofcleaning the filtering medium and in the construction and, combinationof the various parts of the mechan; ism for that purpose, as hereinafterfully described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification,Figure l is a vertical central section of a horizontally-disposed filterembodying my improvements, a reservoir being shown in elevation abovesaid filter. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the filtering mediumdetached from the case. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the brokenline 00 00, Fig. 1, showing the opening in the lower section of thecase. Fig. 4. is a side elevation of a vertically-disposed filter, andFig. 5 an enlarged vertical central section of the same. Fig. 6 is ahorizontal section on broken line 3 y, Fig. 5; and Fig. 7, a horizontalsection of a modified form of the vertically-disposed filter. Fig. 8 isa vertical section of the reg: ulator-valve located in the pipeconnecting the filter-case and the reservoir in Fig. 1, and Fig. 9 aview of a modified form of cleaner.

Similar letters and figures indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the details of Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 8, A indicates the bottomsection of a spherical filter-case, having an annular flange aprojecting from its outer edge, and Aa similar top section provided atits edge with an outwardly-extending annular flange d, having adepending lip d adapted to lap the pe riphery of flange a D is aconcavo-convex filtering medium having an annular flange (Z extendingout- Ward from the edge thereof. This flange is embraced between theflanges 0L2 and (1, being surrounded and separated from said flanges andsaid lip d by suitable packing E. These parts are bound together byscrew-bolts e, passing through flanges a and d and packing E outside ofsaid flange d. The filtering medium is so arranged with reference tobottom section A that it is separated therefrom by a chamber F.

On the bottom of section A is formed ahollow externally-threaded bossat, engaged by a similar internally threaded boss B, formed on the feedand escape pipes B and B Be tween pipes B and B and below the opening inbosses a and B is a transverse partition b andinto a threaded opening inthe wall .of pipe B and adjacent to partition b is screwed a nozzle 19,as shown at Z), Fig. 1. This nozzle passes up through the openings insaid bosses and into the chamber F, and

it is so curved as to'discharge the water passing through it against theconvex surface of filtering medium D at an angle, so as to cause thewater to move in a current around and against the. bottom of saidfiltering medium, as shown by the arrows in Fig. .2.

bles or thereabout made of wood or of other material of less specificgravity than water. These bodies may be spherical in shape, as shown atf, Fig.1, or angular, as shown in Fig. 9, but I prefer to use those ofangular shape.

H represents a discharge-pipe screwed into an openingin one side of topsection A and having theinner end h curved down to near the bottom ofthe filtering medium, afaucet h being affixed t0.its outer end. Anotherpipe G is screwed into an opening through the top of section A, whichpipe G extends down to the same depth as pipe H. Above the filterislocated a reservoir G, connected with the upper end of pipe G by a pipeg, in which there may be placed any ordinary stopcock, as g, Fig. 1. i

In filling the filter water is fed through-pipe B and passes intochamber F through nozzle 19, whence it percolates through the filteringmedium into chamber A Asthe water passes from nozzle 1) it strikes thebottom of the filtering medium, as described, and circles around thesame, carrying with it the cleaners 1, which, rubbing against saidbottom, remove any sediment collected thereon and keep the pores of thefiltering medium open. As the water rises in chamber A the air iscompressed in the top thereof, as shown by broken line V, Fig. 1. Toopen and clean the pores through the body of the filtering medium,faucet O is opened, when the expansion of the compressed air in chamberA forces the strained Water therein back through the filtering medium-into chamber F, whence it passes out through aperture 12 Across theopening in the bottom of chamber F is secured a concavo-convex screen a,which prevents the escape of the cleaners f when the water is drawn fromthe filter.

If preferable, water can be fed into chamber F through the side ofbottom section A by a pipe V, (illustrated by broken lines in Fig. 1,)the discharge end of said pipe being curved in the same manner as is thecorresponding end of pipe I) to produce a current about the bottom ofthe filtering medium. In this construction the opening in pipe B inwhich nozzle Z) is inserted is closed.

A regulator-valve may be inserted in pipe g, connecting the top of thefilter-case and the reservoir G. Any such valve suitable for the purposemay be employed. Onewhich may be used is shown in Fig. 8. In the pipe Kof this valve is formed a seat p for the inner end a of a valve N,located in stem K of pipe K. This valve has a conical-shaped inner end,the sides whereof are seated in a depression in an annular lip 0",formed around the opening in the wall of pipe K, through which the valvepasses, as shown at O.

A cap K is screwed on the outer end of stem K, and through it passes arod Z, having a handle Z on its outer end and a head L on its inner end.The periphery of head L is provided with a thread which engages acorresponding thread Z in stem K. Between head Land valve N is located acoiled spring M, having its ends bearing respectively against said headand the valve N.

In filling chamber A with water the air is compressed in the topthereof, and when the air pressure becomes sufficiently great toovercome the pressure of spring M valve N is raised and the passage intoreservoir G is opened. By thus opening valve N a continuous air-cushionis formed in chamber A and reservoir G, which is of greater height abovethe water in chamber A than before the opening of said valve, thusincreasing the space in chamber A into which filtered water can beforced. Valve N will remain open so long as the pressure in chamber A isgreater than the pressure insaid reservoir and the tension exerted byspring M. As chamber A is emptied and the air-pressure therein becomesless than the combined air-pressure in the reservoir and the tension ofspring M valve N will close the passage between said reservoir and thechamber A The closing of the passage between chamber A and the reservoirG lessens the height of the air-cushion to be compressed in said Ichamber and allows a greater amount of pres- I sure to be developed fora small amount of water in said chamber than would be the case were thepassage between the two open, as the ratio of the height of theair-space to the depth of the water is less than it would be 1 were thepassage open between said chamber and the reservoir, and the unnecessaryincrease of pressure in chamber A automatically opens the valve betweenit and the reservoir and enlarges the space in said chamber, which canbe occupied by the water. It i is not intended that the water shall beforced higher than the top of chamber A so that all the filtered watercan be withdrawn through faucet h.

The amount of pressure necessary to raise valve N is regulated by thedegree to which spring M is compressed by head L.

If desirable, pipe G and the regulator-valve may be dispensed with andchamber A be filled with water, the air being compressed only inreservoir G.

It is not necessary that the filtering medium be bowl-shaped, as hereinshown and described, as it may be made flat or of any other shapesuitable for the purpose, though the bowl shape is preferable.

Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 illustrate a modified form of filter embodying myimprovement. In this construction the lower end of a verticalcylindrical case 2 is screwed into a T- joint 16, as shown at 21, Fig.5. This T- joint has arms 19 and 20, divided by a partition 17, and withwhich are connected, respectively, the feed-pipe and the faucet.

5 (Not shown.) In case 2 is located a vertical filtering-cylinder 8,having a bore 9, open at the upper end, said cylinder being so disposedas to leave a space between the periph- 7 ery thereof and the wall ofthe case 2.

On the bottom of cylinder 8 is a rib l8,

which engages a corresponding recess in partition 17, and on the outsideof the wall of ,1 said cylinder 8 are vertical ribs 14, forming 1partitions on opposite sides thereof, which divide the space between thecylinder 8 and the wall of the case into two parts, extendingfiltering-cylinder.

from the bottom of the case to the top of the The ribs 18 and 14: form ia continuous wall around the filtering-cylin- 3 der, completely dividingthe space surrounding it into two chambers 15 and 15.

On the top of the filtering-cylinder is screwed a cap 10, as shown at11, Fig. 5, said cap having a 5 hollow cylindrical stem 12 thereon thatreg- 5 isters with bore 9, the upper end of the stem Zbeing screwed intoa cap 5 at 13.

Cap 5 is screwed onto the case at 6 and supports a zreservoir 3, withwhich it is connected by a neck 4, having inserted therein a faucet 7.

In this filter the water passes into chamber 15 from feed-pipe 19, andthen up over the top of the filtering-cylinder and around stem 12 intochamber 15. The faucet on discharge-pipe 20 being closed, the water fromchambers 15'and l5 percolates through the walls of thefiltering-cylinder into bore 9, whence it is forced into reservoir 3, inthe top of which the air is compressed by the rising water, as shown bybroken line 24., Fig. 5. To cleanse the pores of the filtering-cylinder,the faucet inthe discharge-pipe is opened. In a modified form of thisconstruction there is no openin from the feed-pipe into the bottom ofchamber 15, and ribs 14 are omitted. Water is supplied to the filter bya pipe 23, (shown by broken lines in Fig. 5,)

extending upward from the feed-pipe and entering case 2 somewhat belowthe top of the filtering-cylinder, the end of pipe 23 entering the caseat an oblique angle with the surface of the filtering-cylinder, as shownat 25, Fig. 7, so that as the water enters the case it produces acurrent or eddy about said cylinder. In this construction there is asingle and continuous chamber surrounding the filtering-cylinder andv init are a number of cleaners 22, similar to those before described,

which are carried around the filtering-cylin- I der by the revolvingcurrent of water. The cleaners are of such size that one cannot passanother between it and the'wall of the case or the wall of thefilteringcylinder. The chamber 15 is continued up to the top of case 2,as shown by broken lines 26, Fig. 5, or the top of thefiltering-cylinder is carried up to and bears against the top of saidcase. There is a screen 27 placed over the opening leading intoescape-pipe 20.

It will be observed that the filtered water is drawn from the bottom ofthe chamber containing it, so that the water therein acts as a seal toprevent the escape of compressed air above it. After this Water has beendrawn oif in the process of cleaning the pores of the filtering mediumthe faucet in the dischargepipe of that chamber should be opened toallow it to be refilled with air.

I do not limit myself to the construction and arrangement of parts shownand described, as it is obvious that many changes in the details thereofmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The within-described improvement in the method of cleaning the lowerside of a horizontally-disposed filtering medium, the same consisting insupporting buoyant clean-- ers in contact with said lower side of thefiltering medium and producing friction between the same and thecleaners by agitating the liquid in which the cleaners float.

2. The within-described improvement in the method of cleaning the lowerside of a horizontally-disposed filtering medium, the same consisting insupporting buoyant cleaners in contact with said lower side of thefiltering medium and producing friction between the same and saidcleaners by injecting a stream beneath said surface.

3. The combination, in a filter, of a filtering medium having a convexsurface, floating cleaners maintained in contact therewith, and meansfor injecting a stream of water into the filter at an angle with saidsurface, for the purpose specified.

4:. The combination, in a filter, of a filtering medium having a convexsurface, floating cleaners maintained in contact therewith, and a nozzlefor injecting a stream of water into the filter and having its dischargeend curved at an angle with the filtering-surface, for the purposespecified.

JOHN MOHRING.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. LANE, WM. R. GERHART.

